On Friday, in the Q&A session after the company’s investor conference, incoming company president Mark Reuss told attendees that GM was finished with developing hybrid powertrains and the Chevrolet Volt, one of the pioneers of modern plug-in cars, would not be back, according to Green Car Reports.
Reuss said the automaker is looking to the future – battery-electric cars. “Hybrids are just countermeasures to an internal-combustion engine,” Reuss said, adding the company “can’t spend money to force the customer to carry around extra stuff they may not need.”
The extra baggage he was talking about is the Volt’s backup gasoline engine coupled to the vehicle’s electric powertrain. The Voltec powertrain just doesn’t make any sense in today’s electric vehicle market. Some may argue that having a backup ICE would extend the range of a hybrid, but EV power and better batteries will do the same thing.
Reuss, in effect, doused cold water on the rumor that GM was looking at developing a plug-in hybrid crossover for the Volt after production ends this year. And while many believe the Volt deserves a crossover, Reuss’ comments killed the idea.
GM’s EV renaissance is here
The news that GM will not be producing any more hybrids follows the automaker’s announcement on January 11 that Cadillac will become the lead electric vehicle brand as the company gears up to introduce a new model under that luxury marquee to challenge Tesla.
Johan de Nysschen, who was then Cadillac’s president, told reporters at the Detroit auto show in January 2018 the luxury brand will play a “central role” in GM’s electrification strategy, including China.
The big selling point for the Cadillac Ev will be its forthcoming “BEV3” platform. This platform is the basis for the vehicle’s underpinnings, including the battery system as well as other mechanical and structural parts. GM plans to eventually use the BEV3 platform on all its brands. Eventually, nine of GM’s 20 planned electric cars by 2023 will ride on the BEV3 platform.
